Charmed Life
by coramatix
Summary: Eric and Calleigh learn that things don't always go as planned, but they also unlock something they both thought they lost long ago. Sequel to In One Singular Moment.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to In One Singular Moment; you DO NOT have to read the other story to enjoy this one.**

Calleigh sat at the table with her one and a half year old daughter Adelisa. The small child refused to eat, it was drove a sleep deprived Calleigh insane. Eric walked into the kitchen to see his wife rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Hey babe let me take over." He said.

"Be my guest." Calleigh replied. "She refuses to eat, I do not know why."

"Maybe she is not hungry."

"She must be, she has not eaten anything since I put her down last night."

"Cal you are tired, how about you go lie down and take a nap?"

"I was planning on taking her to the park."

"Well the park can wait, but Calleigh you need some sleep."

"What are you afraid that I am going to go all psycho bitch and kill you in your sleep?" She said with a dry chuckle.

"No I am afraid that you are pushing yourself to hard, so please go lie down." Eric flashed her his best concerned loved one eyes, which got her every time.

"Fine, but if you get her down for a nap then I would love it if I could have my husband's strong arms wrapped around me."

"Yeah I will be in once I get her down."

Adelisa's high pitched cry caused Eric to shoot straight up on bed, his gaze was momentarily turned toward Calleigh how stirred slightly in her sleep. He continued down the long hall to his daughter's room. He picked her up in his arms and began to comfort her, but the volume of her shriek increased. Seconds later Calleigh entered taking Adelisa's from Eric's arms.

"Shhh." She said attempting to settle her daughter down. "It is okay baby girl, you are okay just fine." She bounced her up and down while rubbing her back soothingly.

"I do not know why she is acting like this. Maybe she is sick or something." Eric stated.

"She cannot be sick all the time Eric, she is always like this."

"Well I think she might just be distant, or just a difficult child."

"How about I take her out, hopefully the sunshine and fresh air will make her feel better."

"Yeah, I better be getting to work."

The sun was shining brightly over Miami that afternoon, but the temperature was only mild. Calleigh wore a light blue shirt and a pair of khaki capris, with a pair of practical, low wedges on her feet. Adelisa was dressed in a lavender tee shirt and a pair of small but durable blue jeans. Calleigh made sure that her daughter wore a sunhat, afraid that her fair skin would burn in the sun. Many children were at the park that day, so Calleigh pushed the stroller to the end that was for children Adelisa's age. She placed her down in the sand with a few toys and went and sat down on a nearby bench. A tall woman with tan skin and dark hair sat next to her.

"I'm Sandra." The woman said extending her hand.

"Calleigh." She replied. "Which ones yours?"

"That one over there." Sandra pointed to a boy with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. "His names Keith, he is almost two years old. How about you?"

Calleigh pointed to Adelisa, who was currently mesmerized by the shovel. "That is Adelisa, she is a year and a half."

"She is a little cutie pie."

"Thank you."

"She is not very social is she?"

"Well we just got here so hopefully she will start interacting with others."

While she sat there Calleigh began to notice how far behind in her development Adelisa really was. She had not really mastered walking yet, and she did not begin to form words. Worry began to fill Calleigh's already preoccupied mind. After an hour at the park Calleigh head home. She fed Adelisa and put her on the floor to play. To hopefully distract her she began to watch television.

It was four thirty when Eric returned home from work. He was welcomed to the sight of Calleigh asleep on the couch with their daughter in her arms, it was a calming sight. He caught sight of the prominent scar on Calleigh's neck that reminded him of the difficult road that led to life they shared together now. He placed a light kiss on her forehead, and then he began to make dinner.

Over dinner worries began to emerge in Calleigh's brain again.

"How was the park today?" Eric asked.

"Okay I guess." She replied. Eric knew her to well, he knew something was wrong.

"What is the matter?"

"Do not be silly, nothing is the matter."

"Do not try to lie to me Calleigh, I know you."

"Fine, while we were there I realized that other kids her age were working and saying things and they were all very social and Adelisa is not. Eric I am so worried that something is wrong, I mean most of the time she screams bloody murder when either of us even try to touch her."

"How about we schedule her a doctor's appointment, and we do not worry about it until then?"

"It is not that simple, what if something is really wrong?"

"I know that you are scared, so am I but it does not benefit any of us."

"Okay, okay I will try not to worry."

**TBC…**

**Please tell me what you think, I know it is not the best opening chapter but I worked hard.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the positive responses. Um I do not know when I will be able to update, my next couple months are going to be busy, but do not worry I will not keep you hanging that long. *There maybe be some content in this chapter that is not appropriate for all ages.***

Within the next week and a half Eric began to take note of the things that were bothering Calleigh. He finally realized that his daughter was further behind in her development then other children her age. He also wondered if Calleigh was just over reacting, but yet again she had all the right reasons to be as concerned as she was.

Calleigh felt pangs of fear in her stomach, knowing that later that day they would find out the truth about Adelisa. She was scared to death, to think they went this entire time while their child could be extremely ill, that they had been terrible parents. She placed her hands on her taut stomach hoping to calm her nerves, but soon waves of nausea overtook her body. Calleigh allowed the warm water to continue to run over her body. She heard the bathroom door open.

"How is she?" Calleigh asked.

"She is fine, just like every other time you ask Cal." He said, Eric soon realized that his words were a little harsh.

"Okay." Her nerves began to work up again but this time it seemed like they were tipped with a little bit of hurt.

Eric was going to try to quickly recover his mistake. "How is your shower?"

"It is okay, just a little bit lonely." Calleigh was going to play his game.

"Well then how about I join you?"

"Not so fast diver boy, you took a shower earlier."

"You know you can never be to clean." He hopped into the large shower.

"That is true, I mean you are such a dirty man." She pouted at him.

Eric could not resist her, his amazingly beautiful and sexy wife standing there naked with water dripping down her flawless body. He quickly began to kiss her soft lips, each time his fingers toughed her delicate skin an explosion of pleasure went off in his mind.

Calleigh took in each moment that they had. Her legs wrapped around his waist as they loved each other. They were two persons who each were filled with a fiery passion for the other, and their bodies fit together like the pieces to a puzzle. Her fingers ran down his back as her eyes met his.

The mood changed briskly as did the shade of Calleigh's skin. An unhealthy pallor overtook her face, Eric became immediately concerned. He eased to a sitting position on the shower floor.

"Babe are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah just I am really dizzy." She replied. "I think you are too hot for me to handle." Calleigh laughed, but Eric did not.

"Are you sure, is there anything else the matter?"

"Not really. But Jesus what is up with the 20 questions?"

"I just care about you that is all."

"Okay, well we better get ready."

"Take your time."

Eric got Adelisa secure in her car seat and climbed into the driver's seat. Calleigh began to fuss with the radio, she settled onto a station that was playing Little Wonders by Rob Thomas. Eric started to notice how accurately the song fit his and Calleigh's journey that led to where they were today. His mind wandered to the prospect of having more children, he defiantly wanted more.

"Calleigh tell me the truth, are you pregnant?" Eric asked.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, what?" Calleigh replied, he had caught her off guard.

"Are you pregnant?"

"No, besides I would tell you if I were. Why are you asking?"

"No reason, just wondering."

"Now it is time for you to tell me the truth, why did you ask me that just now?"

"After this morning I began to hope a bit more that you were."

"Babe I know you want more kids but right now I am not ready. I just need a little bit longer, I mean I want more to it is just all I went through carrying Adelisa, I am just not ready for that again."

"I know, I'm sorry Cal , I did not mean too."

"No you did not do anything wrong. I do not want to see that fear that I saw in your eyes so many times throughout that pregnancy, I was scared to but to see you like that might have been the worst thing I have ever experienced and I do not want to go through that right now."

"Okay, I think we all need time."

"Yeah, and I promise that Adelisa will have a sibling to love soon enough."

"No need to promise anything, everything will work out in the end."

An hour later Eric, Calleigh, and Adelisa sat in an exam room waiting for Adelisa's pediatrician to return. Dr. Andrews reentered the room with an armful of folders in her arms. She gave them both a warm smile. The smile did not calm the fear that grew in the pit of Calleigh's gut. Her palms began to sweat, Eric detected her discomfort and grabbed her hand and then he stroked it tenderly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Delko we have Adelisa's test results back from the other day. We have conclusively diagnosed Adelisa with autism." She said. Calleigh inhaled sharply feeling tears form in her eyes. "Now there is not a cure for autism, but we can treat it."

"How?" Eric asked.

"We can help with social skills and other things. But there is a program that is similar to Big Brothers Big Sisters Of America, but this one is set up through the hospital and it works with children with autism."

"And that works how?"

"Well your child is set up with a big brother or a big sister who will help them with social interaction and physical things. These teenagers have been trained. And our best older sibling actually needs a little sister or brother, her other family moved to Ohio."

"I would like to meet her." Calleigh piped up.

"Okay great, and Calleigh you have something in common with her, she is from your hometown. Her name is Mallory, she is fourteen, bright young girl. Uh you could actually meet her right now if you would like."

"Um that would be great."

Dr. Andrews led the small family to a large gym like playroom. The room was bustling with activity. The doctor brought them over to a table where a girl with medium brown shoulder length hair, and bluish-green eyes that shared a striking resemblance to Calleigh's sat.

"Mallory, this is the Delko family, their daughter Adelisa has autism." Dr. Andrews made introductions.

"Hi." She said extending her hand to both Eric and Calleigh.

"They wanted to meet you and learn more about the program."

"Okie- dokie. Well you can sit if you would like."

"Mal if you got it from here then I got patients waiting."

"I am good."

"Okay. And you two do not be afraid to call me with any questions."

"Thank you." Eric said.

"Well I like to start out with getting to know who my younger sibling is. So what can you tell me about this little cutie pie?"

"Uh well, her name is Adelisa Kendal Delko, but we call her Addy. Her birthday is December 24. She is a year and a half old." Calleigh began. "She loves animals, especially cats. She really likes music."

"Ah music that is good, I am a dancer. Maybe I can teach you a few things. Okay how about her autism, what does it consist of?"

"She is not very social. She does not like people touching her, even us. She has not began walking yet. She is very temperamental and fussy." Eric stated.

"Okay, sounds a lot like the other child I was dealing with, and she came very far. I started working with her when I was twelve, she was two. Now she is very chatty, she loves hugs, and she has many friends. She is now in pre-school and having lots of fun from what I hear."

"What can we learn about you?" Calleigh asked.

"I am from Darnell, Louisiana. I am fourteen years old, I am a foster child, and I am a freshman in high school."

Eric and Calleigh made their way to the car with Adelisa in Eric's arms. Calleigh had an unsettling feeling in her stomach about Mallory. Something just did not sit right with her.

"I think I know her." Calleigh said.

"You know who?" Eric asked.

"Mallory, her eyes I have seen them somewhere before."

"She has eyes like yours."

"Do you really think so, I mean I have not been told that about another person since…" Calleigh paused as the pieces came together.

"Since when Cal?"

"Since May 8th, 1995."

"What are you talking about?"

"May 8th, 1995 was when one of my best friends had her daughter Mallory Jane Timmons. I was the first one to hold her. Eric no wonder why I knew her, I basically took care of her for the first six months of her life."

"You never told me that."

"Andrea Timmons was never meant to be a mother, I should have never left her alone with that child. God only knows how Mallory ended up here."

**TBC…  
**

**Tell me what you think. Comment like the world was going to end tomorrow. **

**BTW each main teenage girl character in one of my stories resemble my friend Maddie, who is amazing and looks just like Emily, but that is a whole different story that Emily fans would be really jealous of.**


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